Preseving Memories
17. PRESERVING MEMORIES OF THE PROPHET
The Sahaba religiously preserved the belongings of Sayyiduna Rasoolullah (Sallallhu Alaihi Wassallam), which were in their possession. Sayyiduna Ali Bin Husain says: “When after the martyrdom of Sayyiduna Imam Husain we returned to Madinatul Munawwara from the court of Yazeed, and met Sayyiduna Meswar Bin Mukarrama, he said, ‘Give me the sword of the Holy Prophet (Sallallhu Alaihi Wassallam) lest the enemy snatches it from you. I swear upon Allah, I will preserve the sword and safeguard it more than my life.’” 1
1 Abu Da’ood
2 Musnad Ibne-Hambal, Vol.6, p.348
3 Bukhari
Sayyidah Ayesha preserved a Cloak of the Glorious Prophet of Islam (Sallallhu Alaihi Wassallam). After her death, it came to Sayyidah Asma and she kept it in safe custody. Whenever anyone fell ill in the community, she used to dip it in bowl of water and give the water to the sick person to drink. 2
The Tabarruk water certainly cured the sick.
Many Sahaba considered the relics of the Beloved Habbeb (Sallallahu Alaihi Wassallam) as their most valuable treasure in this world and the Hereafter. When the Holy Prophet (Sallallhu Alaihi Wassallam) visited the house of Sayyiduna Anas, his mother kept the beloved Habbeb (Sallallahu Alaihi Wassallam)’s sweat in a bottle and mixed it with her perfumes. On his deathbed, Sayyiduna Anas asked his family to mix the sweat of Sayyiduna Rasoolullah (Sallallhu Alaihi Wassallam) with the perfumes to be applied to his dead body. Hafiz Ibne-Hajr said: “The mother of Sayyiduna Anas used to preserve the hair of the Holy Prophet (Sallallhu Alaihi Wassallam), which fell down after combing.”
Sayyiduna Anas reported that when the Glorious Prophet of Islam (Sallallhu Alaihi Wassallam) shaved off his head in Mina, Sayyiduna Abu Talha picked up the removed hair and handed them over to his mother, which she mixed with her perfumes. 3 2 www.GardensOfSunnah.co.uk
During the Battle of Khyber, the Holy Prophet (Sallallhu Alaihi Wassallam) had put a garland around the neck of a lady companion. She preserved the garland throughout her lifetime and never put it off. On her deathbed she requested her family members to bury the garland along with her dead body. 4
4 Musnad Ibne-Hanbal, Vol. 6, p.380
5 Nuzhatul-Abrar
6 Abu Da’ood
7 Abu Da’ood
8 Bukhari
Sayyiduna Ameer Mua’wiyyah had preserved a cloak, a shawl, a wrapper and few hairs of Sayyiduna Rasoolullah (Sallallhu Alaihi Wassallam). On his deathbed, he instructed his family to keep the clothes along with his shroud and put the hair of the Glorious Prophet of Islam (Sallallhu Alaihi Wassallam) into his mouth and nostrils. 5
Sayyidah Ayesha had preserved the clothes, which the Holy Prophet (Sallallhu Alaihi Wassallam) had on his body at the time of his demise. 6
The Beloved Habbeb (Sallallahu Alaihi Wassallam) had given a turban of black silk to a companion, which he preserved throughout his life and felt proud of his possession. 7
Sayyidah Umm-e-Salmah had preserved few hairs of the Glorious Prophet of Islam (Sallallhu Alaihi Wassallam). Anybody who fell ill used to send a vessel full of water to her who returned the vessel after washing the hair of the Beloved Habbeb (Sallallahu Alaihi Wassallam) in it. The sick person used to drink or bathe with the water. 8
Once, Sayyiduna Rasoolullah (Sallallhu Alaihi Wassallam) intended to write a letter to a non-Arab ruler. The Sahaba said: “These non-Arab rulers do not accept any letter that does not bear the stamp.” The Beloved Habbeb (Sallallahu Alaihi Wassallam) sent for a ring, which had “Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah”, inscribed on it. After the demise of the Glorious Prophet of Islam (Sallallhu Alaihi Wassallam), Sayyiduna Abu Bakr and Sayyiduna Omar preserved the ring during 3 www.GardensOfSunnah.co.uk
their Caliphate. When Sayyiduna Uthman came to the throne of Caliphate, he started wearing the ring. Once he was sitting on the wall of a well and moving the ring from one finger to another, when suddenly the ring fell into the well. Sayyiduna Uthman ordered his men to empty the well. The well was emptied but they could not recover the ring. 9
9 Abu Da’ood
10 Usabah
11 Bukhari
12 Tabqaat
The Holy Prophet (Sallallhu Alaihi Wassallam) gave to Sayyiduna Kaa’b Bin Zuhair his shawl as a reward for the eulogy which he composed in praise of Sayyiduna Rasoolullah (Sallallhu Alaihi Wassallam). Sayyiduna Ameer Mua’wiyyah purchased the shawl from Sayyiduna Kaa’b’s son and all the Caliphs who followed him donned the shawl on Eid Day. 10
Sayyiduna Anas Bin Maalik preserved the bowl in which the Glorious Prophet of Islam (Sallallhu Alaihi Wassallam) used to drink water. On one occasion, the bowl was broken. Sayyiduna Anas got it repaired with the silver strings. It had an iron ear. Later, when Sayyiduna Anas wanted Sayyiduna Talha presented it to him saying: “We should not change the tradition of the Holy Prophet (Sallallhu Alaihi Wassallam).” Sayyiduna Sahl and Sayyiduna Abdullah Bin Salaam preserved another two bowls of the Holy Prophet (Sallallhu Alaihi Wassallam). 11
One day the Beloved Habbeb (Sallallahu Alaihi Wassallam) visited the house of Sayyidah Umm-e-Sulaim. He saw a water bag hung by the wall and directly drank from it. Sayyidah Umm-e-Sulaim cut the mouth of the water bag and preserved it as the relic of Sayyiduna Rasoolullah (Sallallhu Alaihi Wassallam).12
The Holy Prophet (Sallallhu Alaihi Wassallam) sometime used to take rest after taking food in the house of Sayyidah Shifa the daughter of Abdullah. She had kept a bed and a wrapper exclusively for the use of the Holy Prophet (Sallallhu Alaihi Wassallam). She preserved these 4 www.GardensOfSunnah.co.uk
relics for quite a long time. Finally, Marwan took these things away from her. 13
13 Usdul-Ghaaba
14 Abu Da’ood
Besides these mementos, the Sahaba loved anything, which the Holy Prophet (Sallallhu Alaihi Wassallam) used even once during his lifetime. Sayyiduna Nafe reports that Sayyiduna Abdullah Bin Omar showed him the pace where the Glorious Prophet of Islam (Sallallhu Alaihi Wassallam) confined himself during the month of Ramadaan. 14